Malware Leads to Internet Shutdown

Today about
250,000 computers worldwide might be affected by an Internet outage, due to
malware (a.k.a. malicious software) called DNS Changer. It infected 4 million
Domain Name Systems (DNS), which connect your Internet Protocol (IP) address
(the unique set of numbers assigned to devices connected to the Internet) to
various websites. To combat the malware, the FBI initially wanted to turn off the
servers associated with the millions of affected devices-but that would mean
that computers would lose online connection immediately. The FBI then set up
two alternative servers to help attacked users gain Internet access and
allotted a window of time for victims to get their DNS fixed. The servers were
shut down today at 12:01 AM. If you're reading this post, though, you weren't
hit by the shutdown.

The malware was created by a group of international hackers
who cheated the online advertising system-sites gain revenue from each click an
ad gets for the advertiser. The hackers would use ads from high-traffic
websites to redirect users to fraudulent pages, instead of the intended link. ABC
News used the example of an advertisement for Netflix which actually leads to a fake site like "BudgetMatch." The group was
indicted in 2011 for gaining $14 million in revenue from their crime.

Our lives now greatly depend on the Internet, and losing connection is a scary thought to
many, even if it's only for a short period of time. Make sure to always watch
out for suspicious ads or activities while surfing the net. Do you know anybody
who was affected? Let us know in a comment below!

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